Research Study - Identifying Distinctive Competencies in Science

An accurate assessment of the scientific strengths of an institution is critical for identifying areas of scientific leadership. In this paper, we explore the concept of ‘science mapping’ an alternative method for accurately identifying areas of scientific leadership – and
how this compares to more traditional approaches.

Using the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) as an example, we show how science mapping can more accurately identify an institution’s distinctive competencies, using bibliographic analysis and visualization algorithms.